Starting Over
by CharliesOldLady
Summary: I moved my head back so our faces were only inches apart. I could feel his warm breath hit my lips. I closed my eyes as I closed the gap between us pressing my lips to his. They were softer than I expected. I could tell he was shocked at my action but soon relaxed as his lips started moving with mine. – BRANDT/OC
1. 01: Possibilities

**AN: This was moved from my old account - . Your reviews would still be lovely and mean a lot. Every time I get reviews the more I will end up updating because I'll know I'm not wasting my time.**

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**DISCLAIMER: **I**_DO NOT_**own anything to do with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. If I did it would be Jeremy Renner as William Brandt.

**Title:** Starting Over.

**Characters:** William Brandt, Cassandra James [OC], Ethan Hunt, Jane Carter, Benji Dunn and any OC's I come up with.

**Genre: **Drama, Romance, action, horror and others no doubt.

**Rating: **T to be safe. There will be a little swearing.

**Summary: **I moved my head back so our faces were only inches apart. I could feel his warm breath hit my lips. I closed my eyes as I closed the gap between us pressing my lips to his. They were softer than I expected. I could tell he was shocked at my action but soon relaxed as his lips started moving with mine. – BRANDT/OC

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**CHAPTER ONE: Possibilities**

I entered the small Starbucks across from the apartment complex I had been staying for the last two weeks. I did a quick survey of the place before taking a step towards the counter. It had been programed into me to be aware of my surroundings even if the place seemed harmless.

The small café had a couple tables and chairs outside while inside there were six wooden tables, all having 2-3 matching chairs, there was a sofa to one side of the room, a coffee table with a vase and many magazines on it sat in front of it and a lazy-boy chair to the coffee tables right. There were photographs of New York City all over the walls as well as a big rustic looking clock. It gave off a homey vibe. That was something I hadn't felt in a long time.

I noticed the doors to the bathrooms. I knew they'd be just as small as the space behind the counter that shelved photos and memorabilia from sports games and theatre shows. I also noticed a door opposite the bathrooms. I knew that the small kitchen area and the back exit door would be. Most cafés around here had the same layout.

When I finally reached the counter I ordered a berry flavoured herbal tea and paid for it while I waited for it to be made. I took another glance around the room. My eyes fell on a familiar face. I sighed rolling my eyes. I took my Styrofoam cup of tea and made my way over to the person.

"How'd you find me?" I asked getting the person's attention. He looked up at me and smiled.

"I knew where to look,"

"Why are you here, Ethan?" I sat in the chair across from his. I had the feeling he needed something.

"I need your help Cassie," he told me.

"How big?"

Ethan lowered his voice. "We're looking at another attempt for world domination. IMF hasn't been this under threat before. The bosses don't know what to do. They've asked me to do my best. My best isn't good enough and that's including my other team members. We could use your help. You were one of the best."

I frowned and spoke quietly also. "You know IMF would never take me back. I can't help you Ethan. My skill set isn't as good as yours."

"You're just as good as I am. I did train you after all."

"Look Ethan, even if I wanted to, I can't." I stood up from the chair I had been sitting in. "It was good seeing you again Hunt," I walked out of the café and made my way across the street to my apartment building.

I went up to my apartment after checking my mail box and finding nothing in there. I entered the apartment and locked the door behind me. My apartment was small. The living room had a book shelf with more souvenirs from my trips than actual books, a plain cream coloured three-seater couch with deep read cushions to match the feature wall my TV and a few photographs hung from. The rest of the walls were the same cream colour my couch was. My glass coffee table sat at least a foot away from my couch. Magazines were piled on top of it as well as remotes for my small sound system, TV and DVD player.

My kitchen was a third of the size of my living room. A kitchen bar separated the two rooms. The kitchen was all white except for the dark granite that covered the counter tops and breakfast bar. The bathroom was the same size as my kitchen. It only housed a shower, a small counter with a basin built into it and a toilet. There really wasn't much to it.

My bedroom wasn't any bigger than my bathroom and kitchen joined together. Despite it being my bedroom I barely slept in there knowing as soon as I closed my eyes it would feel like the off white walls were slowly closing in on me. There wasn't much to my room. It was just a bed with a bedside table each side and a set of draws. The small closet couldn't hold more than the clothes that were hanging up in there.

I didn't have many things because I never stayed in one place for long.

I walked pass my phone and noticed the number on my answer machine blinking. I had two messages. I frowned in confusion knowing no one knew this number. I didn't even know why I had the stupid thing anyway. I pressed the button and stood waiting for the message to play. A voice I didn't recognize soon filled the room. The voice was threatening and so was the message. I rolled my eyes deleting it thinking someone had obviously gotten the wrong number. I listened for the second message. As soon as the voice spoke I knew it was Ethan. His first five words had me thinking. He left a time and place to meet him if I was willing to get back in the game. I saved the message before going into my small kitchen. I got a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and opened it taking a large gulp.

_'IMF doesn't need to know.'_

The words keep playing around in my head. I did miss being out in the field. I missed the action and adrenaline. I missed catching the bad guys and making sure they went away for a very long time. I really do miss being the only thing I am good at – An IMF Agent.


	2. 02: Introductions

**Reviews would be nice.**

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**CHAPTER TWO: Introductions.**

I made my way through the airport to where Ethan had told me to meet him if I changed my mind about helping him. I noticed Ethan, two other men and a woman standing around discussing something amongst each other. None of them had noticed my presence. To say I was nervous would be a lie. I had spent four months out of action but knew still new how to hide the emotions people easily preyed on.

I kept my distance as I observed the small team. I was surprised to recognize one of the two other men standing there. Benji Dunn was in the tech department last time I saw him so it was a surprise to see him standing there next to Ethan. My eyes shifted to the only woman standing there with them. There was no doubt her looks were one of the main reasons she was on Ethan's team. Her long legs and tanned skin made me envious. I wasn't very tall, only standing at 5ft4. My eyes shifted to the fourth person. He was just a bit taller than Ethan; he had short dark blonde hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen. There was no denying he was a handsome man even when he had a serious expression on his face.

"Agent Hunt," I said getting Ethan's attention as well as the others.

"Agent James, glad you could meet us here." Ethan said using my old status. Even though I missed being an Agent, I didn't like the way it sounded anymore.

I took off my sunglasses and hung them off my shirt where it dipped showing the right amount of cleavage. "You didn't leave many details in your message so I thought you could fill me in on the way to where we're going."

"I want to know how you managed to get Cassie James to help us." A thick British accent cut into the conversation between Ethan and me. I knew that voice anywhere.

"Benji Dunn, good to see you again but what are you doing out of the office?" I asked curiosity taking over.

"I got promoted to Field Agent finally," He said stepping forward and pulled me into a hug.

"Finally," I returned his hug. "I knew one day you'd make a good Field Agent."

"We have to leave so I'll do the introductions on the plane," Now it was Ethan who interrupted the conversation, walking towards the steps to the plane.

I watched as the woman followed closely behind him followed by Benji. I saw the beautiful man looking at me. "After you," he said motioning to the plane with his hand.

I gave him a small smile to say thank you and made my way onto the plane with him behind me. Once we were all seated with our belts on the doors closed and the plane made its way into the air. I clutched onto the arm rest of the seat I was in. I wasn't afraid of flying, it was the taking off and landing that made me feel uncomfortable.

Once it was safe to undo the seat belt I undid mine and got more comfortable as Ethan spoke up. "Cassandra James, this is Agent Jane Carter," Ethan motioned towards the other female on the plane. I had felt her frown on me since I had made my presence known. She gave me a slight nod of her head but the frown remained as she looked towards me. I had heard about Jane Carter when Agent Hanaway was killed. "And this is Agent Will Brandt," he motioned to the beautiful man across from me. Now he had a name. A name I had also heard of.

Agent Brandt held out his hand to me. "It's nice to meet you, Agent James."

"Nice to meet you too, but please call me Cassie. I haven't been an agent in four months," I said clasping his hand with mine. He gave me a small smile as we shook hands.

"Why is she here again?" The woman, Jane spoke up. I knew she would have heard of me also. All the IMF agents would know who I am because of my last mission. That mission would always be with me.

"Because we need her," Was Ethan's answer.

"But she got her partner killed,"

"I didn't get anyone killed! None of us knew it was a trap," I frowned towards her, butting in before anyone else said anything. I knew she didn't like me but now I knew I didn't like her too.

"Anderson still got killed. Your arms are the ones he died in," Jane frowned back at me.

"Sounds all too familiar don't it Agent Carter?" I paused for a moment to see if she'd challenge me. She knew exactly what I was talking about. She remained quiet. Jane and I had similar things happen to us but unlike me, she was never seen as a reckless Agent who IMF would find any excuse to fire her.

"This mission is going to prove difficult until we find out who is pulling the strings," Ethan's voice cut through the tension. I turned my attention back to Ethan as he continued to talk. "This is why I have brought Cassandra in. She has one of the best track records on finding who doesn't want to be found from nothing. IMF isn't to know she is working with us. In fact no one can know she is."

"What if they do find out?" Will spoke up. I looked at him as he looked from me to Ethan.

"We'll deal with it if it comes to that," Ethan sighed. I knew he had no plan for that. Neither did I unless running counted. But to be honest, I was getting tired of running. If I helped Ethan and his team then I wouldn't be running. I'd be doing something. Something I was good at.

The rest of the flight mainly consisted of Ethan filling me in on what was happening and going over their plans for when the plane landed.

Tomorrow night we were meant to be going to some charity event one of the suspects Ethan had was hosting. I was to be Will's 'date' to the event. It was being held in one of the hotels many function rooms. Benji was staying up in the room watching the surveillance cameras while Ethan and Jane were going solo.

I was happy to get off the plane and to the hotel. As well as hating the taking off and landing of a plane, I hated to sitting for a long time. I was a restless person. I was even more restless after losing Anderson and then my mother.


	3. 03: Nightmares and Being Spontaneous

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**CHAPTER THREE: Nightmares and Being Spontaneous.**

I shot up out of my sleep with a gasp, cold sweat was pouring from my body. My heart was thumping 1000 miles a minute against my chest. I tried to calm my breathing as I looked around the bedroom of the hotel room we were staying in. I saw Will shifting to sit up in the bed he was sleeping in next to mine. We were stuck sharing a room while Ethan and Benji shared one and Jane got her own.

"Is everything okay?" I heard him ask as he shifted to turn the lamp on that was sitting on the bedside table between our beds.

"Everything is fine," I said throwing back the covers and sheets. I stood up from the bed and made my way to the door. "You should go back to sleep," I told him before walking out the door.

I made my way to the small kitchen and grabbed a glass out of the cupboard and filled it with water. I walked over to the couch and sat down cradling my glass of water in both hands.

I had been deep in thought when I heard someone enter the living room. "Are you sure everything is fine?"

I looked up to see Will standing a few feet away from me, only wearing boxers. I couldn't help but stare. There was no denying this man had a body, a body I now wanted to touch. I blushed stopping my thoughts before they could go any further.

I found myself stumbling over my words. "Yeah it was just… just a… a bad dream… I'll uh… I'll be fine,"

I mentally cursed myself for turning into a baffling baboon. No guy had made me stumble over my words unless you count Jesse from sophomore year in high school but honestly he was one of those boys who were never going to be a real man. Jesse only had his looks. Will has looks, smarts and personality; he is the whole package just like Anderson was; only Anderson didn't have me a fumbling mess.

I snapped myself out of my thoughts as I looked at Will. "You should go back to bed. We have a long day and night tomorrow," I told him.

"You get some sleep too," he said to me before turning to go back to our room. I sighed and finished my glass of water. I didn't know how many more of these nightmares I could take. I hated the lack of sleep they caused, the paranoia that settled in at night before and after the nightmare.

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I stood before the full length mirror, securing a tiny ear piece into my ear. I then ran my hand over my floor length dress, smoothing it out so it clung nicely to my figure. My dress was a deep purple that reminded me of a ripe plum, with one shoulder strap and dipping low enough in the cleavage area to show enough flesh to distract. There were also long slits at the side, reaching my thigh and showing off the expensive high heels I wore.

This seemed all too familiar too me even after being out for four months. Apart of me missed the undercover operations, another part of my missed the beautiful dresses and accessories to match, the last part of me was reminded of my last time that I had done this and the tragedy that came from it.

After a sleepless night I could feel my emotions trying to get the better of me. I couldn't let them get in the way, not when so many lives were at risk tonight.

A knock at the door pulled my attention away from my reflection. "Come in," I said nervously adjusting my dress again as the door opened, revealing Will, looking very handsome in his tux.

"Hi," he smiled as I turned round.

"Hi,"

"You look beautiful,"

I felt myself blush. "Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself."

He gave me a small smile adjusting the collar of his crisp white shirt and messed with his bowtie as I crossed the bedroom to grab my purse off the bed.

"Is everything going according to plan?" I asked him.

"So far. I just came to tell you it's time to head downstairs,"

"Okay. I'm ready,"

I followed him out of the bedroom, walking along the vacant corridor towards the elevators. Will pressed the button, watching the buttons above us light up while I studied our surroundings, vainly attempting to ignore the nagging pain in my gut. We entered the elevator; Will glanced at his watch before speaking.

"Ethan and Jane have already left and Benji is already set up in the hotel room." I curtly nodded, clutching my purse tightly. Suddenly I felt envious of Benji. "Are you okay? You seem a little nervous?"

"I'm fine." I replied shortly, causing him to raise an eyebrow at me.

"All right. Did Ethan fill you in about tonight's target?"

"He did, last night before he went to bed. Y'know, this isn't my first mission Brandt, so stop treating me like a rookie!" My posture stiffened as I barked at him. I released a long breath, slowly letting it out as I glanced at him. "I'm sorry,"

"Don't be. If you have any questions you should ask me now,"

"Ethan already answered my questions." I opened my purse, making sure everything I needed; including a backup gun was there and closed it as the elevator doors parted to the hotel lobby.

"Okay, you two start acting more like a couple… touch each other!" Benji's accent came through my ear piece.

"How about I touch you with my gun?" I muttered making Brandt smirk as he snaked an arm round my waist, walking close beside me as we made our way into the function room.

I plastered a grin upon my face, feeling it widened when I made eye contact with others mingling at the party. We did an easy circle of the room and made our way towards the bar, Will lowering his arm to take my hand instead.

"You're crushing the hand I shoot with," he murmured as my smile faltered slightly.

"Sorry. I could use a drink." I released his hand, carefully leaning against a stool as he ordered us a drink. He lingered at my side, not bothered that he was invading my personal space and making my heart pound in my chest.

The moment the alcoholic drink was placed before me, I grasped the cool glass, draining the liquor in a couple of mouthfuls and ordered another one.

"I need you clear,"

"I wish you would back off Brandt." I hissed sculling the second drink and moved away from the bar, clutching my purse with a hand as I moved within the crowd. I paused at the edge of the dance floor, watching the seemingly happy couples dance to the slow tune.

"Let's dance." Will appeared suddenly beside me, grasping my hand as he lead me onto the polished floor, neatly spinning me round and bringing me back towards him. He secured an arm round my waist, while the other hand held mine. "I need to know you've got my back if things go south," his blue eyes bored into mine. "We've all lost people on missions, but you can't let it cloud your judgment,"

"Is that what you think my problem is? My past is clouding this mission?" I raised an eyebrow at him as we slowly moved to the beat.

"Your past is the reason Ethan brought you into this mission."

"Or maybe he just admires my acting skills," with the arm I had curled round his neck I was able to close the remaining distance between our bodies. Our heat molded together as I lightly rested my cheek against Will's, my lips fluttering against his flesh as I spoke. "I can make the unbelievable believable."

I moved my head back so our faces were only inches apart. I could feel his warm breath hit my lips. I closed my eyes as I closed the gap between us pressing my lips to his. They were softer than I expected. I could tell he was shocked at my action but soon relaxed as his lips started moving with mine. To say Will was a good kisser was an understatement.

Our moment was soon interrupted when Benji's voice came through the ear piece. "Target is moving towards the door. Will and Ani, you're closest to him."

I sighed pulling away from Will. I spotted the target and took Wills hand pulling him with me to follow the man. The man looked back and locked eyes with me and Will. He seemed to register that we were after him. He pushed his date to the side and rushed into the nearest room. This did all seem too familiar. Will and I ran to the door he went through. It was the kitchen. I spotted him across the kitchen. He looked back seeing us and then slipped through the door. I rushed through the kitchen only to see a car pull away from the alley. I cursed as Will stood behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder.


	4. 04: A New Enemy

**CHAPTER FOUR: A New Enemy.**

After letting the rest of the team know our suspect had escaped, we all met back in the hotel room Benji had been in running surveillance. Ethan was pacing the room as Benji told him what he had picked up on the surveillance footage. Jane was sitting on the sofa. I could feel her glare boring holes into the back of my head. I stood by the window looking out across the small Spanish village in front of me. I could hear what Benji was saying to Ethan but chose not to pay much attention to the words spoken.

"You know it's not your fault?" Will's smooth voice filled my ears. I looked to my side to see him standing next to me.

"I know but if we had been a little quicker and he hadn't run, we would have him right now," I sighed, "He could have been our only link to this person who has every government agency scared."

"We're lucky he isn't,"

"I wouldn't say we're lucky just yet,"

"I should rephrase that – He's lucky he isn't,"

"We have to look more closely at his date," I said remembering the tall, leggy redhead that was with our suspect.

"Why his date?"

"She remained calm and in control when we started chasing him. She didn't even flinch when he pushed her aside and when we came back out of the kitchen she had disappeared into thin air," I explained to him.

"Manuel was just a diversion," he said catching on to what I was saying. "Do you think she is the one running the show or just another puppet?"

"She's not the one running the show. The person running everything isn't stupid enough to show their face in public. She's just another puppet on the string, maybe someone more important. We won't know until we find out who she is." I said looking back out towards the view of the village.

"Benji has her on surveillance. He should be able to get a facial recognition. You should tell Ethan what you just told me,"

"Ethan," I said getting his attention. He stopped pacing and looked at me letting me know he has my attention. I went on to tell him what I had just told Will about Manuel's date possibly being the person we should have been after. After I told him he turned back to Benji.

"I want you to see if you can get a facial recognition on Manuel's date and if you can pull anything up on her,"

"Got it," Benji said as he went straight to work on finding who this woman was.

"This could just be another dead end. The woman could have easily got spooked," Jane spoke up wanting to have her say.

I rolled my eyes, "If you had been listening I did say the woman seemed to remain calm the whole time, even when Manuel pushed her out of the way to get away from Brandt and I,"

"Maybe she's good at hiding what she's feeling,"

"You would know about that wouldn't you?"

"We're taking every lead we can come up with," Ethan said getting in between me and Jane.

I rolled my eyes and walked towards one of the empty bedrooms. I closed the door behind me not wanting anyone to follow. I walked out onto the balcony. To my luck I heard the bedroom door open and close. I looked behind me to see Will walking towards me.

"Can we talk?" he asked standing next to me.

"Depends what you want to talk about," I said.

"The kiss,"

"I was playing a role. I had to make us look somewhat believable," I said even though I felt something.

"Okay, next time give me a little warning,"

"I'll try to. Sometimes I can be spontaneous like that,"

"Sometimes spontaneous is a good thing," he smiled and I couldn't help but smile back at him.

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On the other side of the city Bella Ryder laid within a claw foot bathtub, soaking her curvy, hourglass figure within spicy scented bath salts and on the verge of dozing off into a peaceful slumber when her untraceable cell phone began ringing. Bracing her hands on the sides of the bath, she gripped the porcelain and pulled herself up and out of the water. She carefully stepped out of the bath and pulled on a fluffy white hotel robe, her damp feet padding over the carpet as she entered the main room and picked up the cell phone to take the call.

"Good evening Sir,"

_"My beautiful spy, report."_

"The shit hit the fan boss." her husky tone hummed with amusement as she recalled how Manuel bolted for the nearest exit, stupidly believing the two IMF agents were Interpol. "But you were right, IMF sent a couple of agents to the event,"

_"They are too predictable. Did you get pictures of them?"_

"Of course, I'm just running a trace on it now."

She reached for the packet of cigarettes sitting on the bedside table and placed a stick between her lush lips. She snapped open her lighter, watching the orange flame dance and ignite the end of the stick so the intoxicating smoke filled her lungs. She tossed the lighter at the bed, walking over to the small table where she'd set up a laptop. She set the cell phone on the table, putting it on speaker as she studied the illuminated screen.

"Okay," She took the cigarette between two fingers, speaking through a mouthful of smoke. "The male agent is William Brandt…a former Marine; he was the IMF Secretary's Chief Analyst until his death in Russia three and a half months ago. He's been on the active field duty list ever since."

_"What about the other one?"_

"A female," She frowned placing the cigarette between her lips so she could tap a couple of the keyboard keys trying to make the denied access window disappear. "I'm having trouble accessing her file, there's some serious encryptions protecting it."

_"I thought you had some skills in that department_,"

She rolled her green eyes. "I've got her name, but it'll take some time to find out some information about her,"

_"What's her name?"_

"Cassandra James,"

_"Shit,"_

"Something the matter?"

_"I need you to access the bloody file! I need to know how long she's been on the active duty list! And you need to change your alias!"_

The call abruptly ended and she took a deep inhale from her cigarette, staring at the picture of Cassandra on the laptop screen.

"What's so special about you?" she muttered aloud and began trying to hack into the protected file.


	5. 05: Isabella

**CHAPTER FIVE: Isabella**

Spain was one of my favorite countries to visit. The people were friendly, vibrant with life and love for everything from food to culture. I could immerse myself in the crowds and feel like I belonged to something bigger than the criminal underworld I called home.

My high heels tapped against the cobblestone streets as I waltzed along with my packages from a fruitful shopping trip. The sun was beginning to creep up high in the sky and most of the village would be shutting down for their lunch and afternoon siestas. So I thought I'd try out my bathing suit at the beach, and allow the sunny rays to turn my winter kissed skin to a nice golden glow.

I stopped at a small café for a light lunch and glass of wine. I sat at one of the round iron tables outside, taking in the sights before retrieving my cell phone to see a new message alert on the screen. I slid my index finger across the screen, raising an eyebrow as the message sent by my boss informed me that the IMF agents from the party where now in the area.

"How interesting," I smirked reaching for the packet of cigarettes in my bag, opening the pack and took a stick between my lips. I grabbed the matches left on the table and lit the end and called my boss, his gruff voice answering after a few seconds.

_"You got my message?"_

"I did, they're following the breadcrumbs, just like you said they would,"

_"IMF are predictable, they're always determined to catch the bad guys and save the world." _He chuckled at what he thought was brilliance but I rolled my eyes, blowing out a mouthful of smoke, balancing the cigarette on the edge of the ashtray so I could pick up my wine glass. _"Did you hack into Cassandra's file?" _

I found it suspicious how he referred to her by her first name unlike the other agents. "Yes, but there wasn't much information to be found about her. Someone had already been in there and cleared it out. It was just basic information, her name, photo and that she'd been disavowed after her last mission. But even reports on her last mission were blacked out; I think someone's protecting her."

_"I know about her last mission. I need to know what she's up too and now damn it! If you have to get yourself caught by IMF to find out then do so!"_

I set my empty wine glass down, harshly swallowing my mouthful of liquor. "I don't get caught boss! And some bimbo isn't worth spending the rest of my life in prison –"

_"You will do whatever I tell you to do Isabella Monte!" _He snapped abruptly making my jaw clench as he used the name my parents had given me. He was the only person in this world, other than myself who knew that name. _"Because you know getting caught by the authorities or even a prison sentence will be a vacation compared to what I'll do to you."_

His threat sent a shiver running down my spine and I reached out for my cigarette only to pause as I noticed how bad my hand was trembling. I wasn't afraid of much in this world but my boss was dangerous in every sense of the world. He would kill me, slowly, painfully, making the torture last for days on end and no matter how much I pleaded or cried he would watch my life and blood slowly drain from my body.

_"You do whatever you have too Isabella, I want to know what Cassandra James is up to."_

The call ended and I released a long breath, placing the phone back into my handbag and rose from the chair. I left my cigarette smouldering on the edge of the ashtray, gathering my shopping bags and continued on my way to my hotel.

I entered the quiet hotel room, stacking my bags on the neatly made bed and pulled off the black pixie cut wig I'd been wearing. I tossed it aside and shook my long strawberry blonde waves free. My boss' threat still bounced around my head and there was only one cure. I did a quick search for my new bathing suit, disappearing into the bathroom to change. The window was opened, allowing the sea breeze to float in and call me to enjoy a day off from business. I waltzed out of the bathroom, wearing a simple white cotton dress over my bathing suit and packed a few supplies into a large handbag. I checked the small gun at the bottom of the bag; the magazine was full and the safety on. I slipped into a pair of sandals, covered my light green eyes with my favorite pair of Dior sunglasses and headed to the beach.

I picked a nice spot not too far from the water, watching the waves roll in and crash lightly upon the wet sand. I kicked off my sandals and set my things down beside a vacant lounger, taking a moment to scan the area. Of the twenty people surrounding me, sunbathing, swimming and enjoying themselves, nobody stood out. I pulled off my dress, placing it on top of my bag and sat down, stretching my bare legs out and wriggled my toes in the sand. I rested comfortably back and closed my eyes.


	6. 06: Target Bella

**CHAPTER SIX: Target Bella. [Cassandra's POV].**

"Bella Ryder is our new target," Ethan dropped a handful of files on the table.

We were now staying in another hotel located in Deià, a small village on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain. Jane, Benji and I were all sitting around a small wooden table while Ethan stood. Benji spent the night in front of the computer screen discovering everything he could about our new target.

"She mainly operates under aliases but she leaves a messy paper trail where she goes and she doesn't steer clear of cameras so it makes it easy to get a facial recognition."

"She doesn't sound like a pro," I remarked opening one of the files and skimmed through it, studying the photos in particular of a curvy woman in various wigs and always wearing large sunglasses. "But her record is impressive,"

"Depends on your meaning of impressive," Jane retorted casually leaning back in her chair as she also looked through one of the folders. I glanced over at her mentally willing the chair to fall back tipping her with it.

"She's a drug and arms dealer, how has IMF never picked up on her before now?" I asked anyone who was listening hoping Jane wouldn't be the one to open her smart mouth. "Her method might be sloppy but she doesn't get caught. How does someone go so long without getting caught?"

"You should be able to answer that. No one found you until Ethan tracked you down," Jane raised an eyebrow at me.

"Well I wasn't as stupid as this woman. I knew how to keep hidden and keep myself out of trouble,"

Jane scoffed and rolled her eyes. I'd never it aloud, especially when she was around but I'd actually found myself in trouble once, it was in self-defense and the cop let me go after he had everything he needed. Of course all my details were fake, and another alias was used when I skipped town.

"Is Benji trying to get another facial recognition?" I asked ignoring Jane and her bitter mood towards me. I was beginning to think she felt threatened by me.

"He is," Ethan answered, "Her last known location was at the markets a few blocks from here this morning. She's been using the name Domino Derval."

"She must think she's a Bond girl," Jane chuckled, finally saying something that wasn't directed at me.

I couldn't control myself, it was my turn to open my big mouth with a snaky retort. "Just because she is using a weird name doesn't mean she has a Bond girl complex. She's a bad girl so technically she's a villain."

"Actually, that is a Bond girl name, from Thunderball and she's just showed herself again!" Benji remarked, his fingers tapping wildly against the laptop keyboard. Will walked out of the bedroom we shared as Ethan rushed to Benji's side, questioning him about Bella's current whereabouts. "She's at the beach and she doesn't look like she's leaving any time soon."

"So I'm guessing we're going to the beach?" Will asked as he stood next to me.

"Jane and I are. She knows what you and Cassie look like so she'll know who you are by now. Benji's going to stay behind so he can track her and tell us if she moves."

Out the corner of my eye I could see Jane give me a triumphant smirk. I rolled my eyes wanting nothing more than to punch the smug look off her face. Being smug didn't suit the upper class agent. It made her look as ugly as her attitude.

"What are Brandt and I suppose to do?" I asked reclining in my chair, trying not to look pissed off at being left behind.

"See if there's a connection between Bella and our other links. There has to be something in those files that leads us to who's running the show."

"Might as well get comfortable then," I grabbed the rest of the files, rising from the chair and walked over to the couch. "Enjoy the beach," I mumbled as Jane and Ethan left.

Will came over, dropping beside me and helped spread the files over the coffee table. He reached for a random one and sighed. "If I see one more folder I'm gonna shoot something or someone."

"You were an analyst before this weren't you?" I asked him also grabbing a folder.

He nodded using his free hand to massage the back of his neck, "I was demoted to chief analyst. It wasn't fun but it was a job."

"How did you get back in the field?"

"I was with Ethan when the IMF secretary was killed. You could say Ethan saved my life. I helped him with his mission at the time and I've been on active field duty since."

"Did you miss the field?" I studied his expression as it softened, he was gazing over the papers in his hands but he was obviously thinking about his past missions.

"I did. You?"

"Every day,"

I averted my gaze before he could catch me staring and frowned when a name in black bold lettering caught my attention. I blinked a few times making sure I wasn't seeing things and then closed the file, holding it up for Will to see. "What is this file doing here?"

He looked at the name at the top left corner and shrugged. "I don't know. Ethan was the one that brought in the files."

"This shouldn't be in here. This agent is dead and he worked for the good guys. Ethan has no reason to suspect him!" I stood up and threw the file back on the coffee table before storming out of the safe house hearing Will call my name.


	7. 07: Capture

**If these chapters that cross between Bella and Cassie please let me know.**

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**CHAPTER SEVEN: Capture [Bella's POV].**

I woke to the sound of the waves crashing against the sand. I slowly sat up, glancing at my watch to discover only an hour had passed since my arrival but the tiny hairs on the back of my neck rose to attention. Something was out of place. I rose from the lounger and pulled on my dress, gathering my bag and marched over the sand back to my hotel.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being followed. True, I'd been leaving breadcrumbs for the IMF agents to follow and my boss wanted me to be captured just to learn more information about them, but it still put my nerves on edge.

When I reached my hotel room I quickly packed my suitcase and redressed into a simple, yet expensive little black dress that clung to my curves. I zipped up the suitcase sitting upon the bed and stepped into my high heels as there was sharp knock upon the door. My instinct was to reach for my loaded weapon now sitting on the bedside table but fought against it. I ran my hands along my sides, smoothing my dress into place as I walked to the door, unbolted the chain and opened it to reveal IMF's shining star; Ethan Hunt and one of his team; Agent Jane Carter.

"Won't you come in?" I stepped aside allowing them to enter. The female agent with flawless tanned features revealed her weapon as she entered, scanning the room and I suppressed a knowing sigh. "There's no one else here, I'm alone."

She walked into the bathroom. "All clear,"

I closed the door folding my arms across my chest, my ponytail swinging as I lightly shook my head. "Aren't you going in introduce yourselves?"

"If we know who you are, I'm sure you know who we are," Ethan replied making me chuckle.

"You don't know me,"

"Really? Is it Domino or Bella?" Ethan asked with a smug smile I'd take pleasure in wiping off his face.

"It's neither."

Jane busied herself by unzipping my suitcase and searching through the contents.

"Do you mind? Some of those clothes are worth more than what you get paid in a year,"

She shot me a dark look and continued to roughly handle the garments. I raised an eyebrow at Ethan who studied me carefully. I had to admit to myself, it was an honor to have someone so highly respected in the spy world tracking me.

"So what happens now Agent Hunt?"

"We're taking you into custody and you're going to fill in the blanks." He produced a pair of handcuffs and smiled. "Are you going to give me any trouble?"

I unfolded my arms and extended my hands to him. "Trouble is my middle name."

He cuffed my wrists and Jane did up the suitcase, bringing it along as we left the hotel together. I was bundled into an unmarked van and forced to sit in between Jane and Ethan on the bumpy ride through the village.

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When we arrived at our destination, I was escorted through a back entrance to what appeared to be a rundown motel on the outskirts of the village. I was dragged up two flights of creaky stairs and pushed forward along a vacant corridor. We stopped before a wooden door and Jane unlocked it, flashing me a smirk.

"Scared?"

"You wish."

She grabbed my handcuff hands, pulling me inside with Ethan close behind me. My green eyes swept the simple hotel room, their computer tech; Benji Dunn sat at a small round table, staring intently at his laptop screen but my attention landed on William Brandt leaning casually against an open doorframe. His agency profile photo didn't do him justice. In person he was gorgeous.

"That didn't take long," Benji remarked glancing at his watch and then me.

"She came willingly." Ethan stated coming to stand at my side.

"So talk! Are you Bella Ryder or not?" Jane snapped at me. Obviously patience wasn't one of her virtues. How she ever became a spy I'd never understand, IMF must've had lower standards that I thought.

"Sweetheart, you are a small fish in a shark tank, and I don't usually lower myself to talk to chowder. But I wouldn't mind ten minutes alone in a dark room with Agent Brandt." I smiled sweetly as his eyebrows rose.

"Not gonna happen!"

My gaze swung to Cassandra as she rose from her seat, glaring darkly at me. She was my carrot, the key to my freedom. I studied her from head to toe and back again as my lips curved into a grin.

"Oh Cassandra, sweetheart….are you really repeating your past mistakes?" Her hands clenched into hard fists. I was easily getting on her last nerve. And I hadn't even begun to torment her. "Do you love Brandt as much as you did Anderson?"

She stepped forward but Brandt was quickly at her side, gripping an arm to stop her from lashing out at me. Ethan took my elbow and led me into a bedroom, sitting me on the edge of a double bed and closed the door so we were alone. I placed my hands in my lap so the metal wouldn't rub further against the delicate flesh of my wrists.

"You need to put your bitches on a leash Agent Hunt,"

"What's your real name?"

"You can call me whatever you want to sweetheart," I raised an eyebrow at him but he didn't crack a smile. He was all business and then a thought struck me. "I assume you're the one that hid all of Cassandra's information,"

"You would assume right,"

His answer surprised me. He stood between me and door, his arms folded across his loose blue shirt, staring intently at me.

"Then you know the truth about Anderson,"

"I had my suspicions," he admitted. "I had to protect Cassandra in more ways than one. You've obviously done your homework on all of us,"

"I learned long ago that knowledge is a powerful weapon. Which is why your computer genius can't find anything on me, I'm just a face with a hundred names. I've perfected my craft over the years, and it will take more than a charming smile to break me."

Ethan's lips twitched. "I'm not going to break you, I'm going to use you. I want to do a trade with your boss, he can have you back in perfect condition if he tells me what he's up too,"

"You're joking right?" I laughed until tears formed at the corners of my eyes and then sighed, catching my breath. "Oh, you are just too much Ethan! I think in a past life we would've been great friends but I'm here because I let you bring me here, because my boss wanted you to capture me!"

Ethan's expression tensed and I lightly shook my head.

"I'd kill for a cigarette,"

"Tell me what you know,"

"What I know? I know many things, you're going to have to be a little more specific."

"I want to know about your boss."

"My boss…he is intelligent and evil on a scale you have never dealt with. I've spent my whole life around criminals ranging from druggies to murderers and none of them scared me the way that my boss does. I promise you there'll be a bloodbath…and standing proudly on the pile of dead bodies will be my boss. He will win."

"What's his name?"

I rolled my eyes and kept quiet. He waited for a long moment, continuing to stare at me until he finally caved in and left the room, slamming the door behind him. I laid back against the lumpy mattress and gazed at the ceiling.


	8. 08: Inner Demons

**Reviews would be nice. I don't want to feel like I am wasting my time.**

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**CHAPTER EIGHT: Inner Demons [Cassandra's POV]**

I watched as Ethan stormed out of the room he had taken Bella into not too long again. He was frowning, no doubt, from frustration. There was no way Bella was going to tell us what we wanted to know. I read her file thoroughly. This woman was smart enough to not get caught unless it was on purpose.

"What are we going to do with her?" I heard Jane speak up. I looked over towards her from where I was sitting. She didn't look too impressed. I didn't know if it was because there was a third female with us and she felt threatened by the whole female population or because she didn't like this Bella woman. I was guessing both.

"What we do with all our other suspects," Ethan said.

I scoffed rolling my eyes which got everyone's attention. Jane focused her glare on me, Ethan frowned, and Benji and Will looked at me expectantly. I sighed. "The good cop bad cop routine won't work with her,"

"How would you know that?" Jane asked.

"I've read her file thoroughly. Also she thinks she's God. There is no fooling this one," I said.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Ethan asked me.

"Let me talk to her -"

Ethan held up a hand cutting me off, "That's not going to happen, she seems to have taken a liking to you and I won't let anything bad happen,"

"Let's play her at her own game," Will spoke up from next to me, "If she thinks she's God we'll treat her like God,"

"If she thinks we admire her work then maybe she'll open up a little or let something slip," Jane agreed with Will. As much as I hate to admit it and agree with Jane, it wasn't such a bad idea. A lot of ego driven people loved to boast about their accomplishments to anyone who praised them.

"Who wants to be the person to admire Miss Ryder's work?" Ethan asked looking at each of us.

"Not me. I'm clearly not an interactive person," Benji made it clear to point out.

"I will," I said only to be shot down my Ethan.

"Like I said, she's taken a liking to you. That means she'll know every last detail including your favourite ice cream flavour, about you. She'll use whatever she can to get under your skin. I also want you both alive."

I frowned at my mentor. I didn't like being pushed to the back especially when I knew I could get something done. "I'm already impressed by her file, I'm sure I can pretend to admire it."

"It's not going to happen, Cassie," he frowned back at me. "I think she'd open up more to a male. She seems more comfortable around them -"

"That's because she's a whore," I spat interrupting him, venom dripping from my words. This earned a look from everyone.

Ethan shook his head and continued, "Because she's come from a man's world, she's a female pulling the strings where it's very rare for a woman to be pulling them. All her employees that we know of are male -"

"She probably fucks every one of them for their Christmas bonus," I interrupted again.

"Do you mind?" Jane asked frowning at me.

"I do actually. You guys are sitting out here on your asses pondering what might work and what might not. She's ego centric, as long as it's someone who loves what she does, she won't care," I was getting frustrated that nothing was happening. "Look Ethan you got me back here to help you and so far all you've got me doing is things you can't be bothered doing yourself."

I stood up from where I was sitting and grabbed my jacket. "I'm going out for how long, I don't know but when I get back something better be decided because I am not going to sit here and listen to you lot ponder your thoughts."

I walked towards the door leaving the group with dumbfounded looks on their faces.


	9. 09: Escape

**Thanks to those who did review. I hope you and other people review. I like knowing my stories are worth continuing.**

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**CHAPTER NINE: Escape [Bella's POV]**

I heard the distant rumbling of raised voices, both female and male which meant the tight knit group were slowly coming apart at the seams. They probably couldn't decide what to do with me. Ethan was smart enough to realize I wouldn't talk freely unless he possessed something I wanted dearly. And he didn't. But Cassandra did. The idea of taking her bound and gagged to my boss brought a smile to my lips, just as the bedroom door opened and William Brandt appeared.

My eyebrow arched in surprise. "Hello handsome,"

He entered the room, gently closing the door behind him. He walked towards me, pulling a packet of cigarettes from his pant pocket and a lighter. "I thought we could talk,"

"I could think of a hundred things I'd rather do to you or with you."

"Maybe later. So do I call you Bella? Or do you have another name?"

"Bella is fine."

He removed a couple of sticks from the packet and placed the ends between his lips, lightly them both. He puffed out a mouthful of smoke, removing one stick and sat it between my parted lips. I inhaled deeply, feeling myself relax as I raised my handcuffed hand and took the cigarette between two fingers.

"I'm surprised to see you here, I assumed Ethan would send Cassandra in to break me."

He smiled and sat on the bed beside me, lazily allowing his gaze to drift up and down my body while he seductively sucked the end of his cigarette. I didn't mind the attention, actually I relished it as I hadn't been with a man in a while. All work and no play was turning into the theme song of my life.

"I thought you wanted to see me?"

I took another deep inhale of my cigarette and smiled as the smoke floated pass my lips. "Oh I do, perhaps when you're not on the company's time though." He frowned. "You're very charming, and very cute but you're also here to question me. And I will answer what questions I can…for a price,"

"Name it?"

"Don't you want to consult with your fellow agents?"

"No need," he reached back for the ashtray on the bedside table and placed it beside him, rubbing the end of his cigarette into it and then did the same with mine. "What do you want Bella?"

"A kiss." I murmured leaning towards him as I spoke.

His eyebrows rose slightly but it took all but a second for him to curtly nod his head in agreement. He raised his hands to my face, staring for a long moment into my green eyes before tilting his head slightly and pressing his lips softly against mine. He abruptly pulled back, making me frown as he dug a hand in his pant pocket.

"It might be easier…" He produced a key. "Without those handcuffs."

"You're trusting me?"

He unlocked the handcuffs and I allowed them to drop to the floor. The corners of my lips twitched as I curled my arms round his neck, kissing him sweetly. His mouth opened to mine, his hands sliding up my back urging my body to lean against his and enjoy the pleasant warmth between us. I could've lost myself completely in his embrace but the little voice at the back of mind knew he was using me as much as I was him.

I threw my head back when his lips moved from mine, crossing my cheek to my neck. "I thought you had questions,"

"I do." His lips hummed against the delicate skin of my neck, tickling my pulse as I gently laid back against the bed covers, bringing him down upon me. He leaned up, carefully raising a hand to forehead and brushing the strands of strawberry blonde hair away. "Why did you give yourself up?"

"I was ordered too, to gain information about your group." I slid my arms round his waist, lowering my hands to his nice tight butt.

"Why?"

"Because my boss said so." I reached up to kiss him, lightly tugging his bottom lip and feeling his manhood instantly jolt to attention. "He's very interested in Cassandra."

William leaned up on his forearms, his blue eyes boring into my green orbs. "Why is he interested in her?"

"I honestly don't know. But he's willing to sacrifice me to get her."

"We can protect you…" I laughed. "Bella," he climbed off me and the bed, tucking his shirt back into his pants after I'd gone to the trouble of getting my hands beneath it. "If you join us we can protect you -"

"No you can't." I stated sitting up. "I'll tell you what I told Ethan, my boss is evil and the only person to ever scare me. You can't hide or out run him, he will hunt you all down and kill everyone you care about for the sheer pleasure."

William frowned at me. "What does he have on you to make you so scared?"

I licked my lips looking away from his probing gaze. "He knows who I really am." I murmured. "I will do anything to make sure he doesn't use that against me, even if that means handing over Cassandra."

"That won't happen."

"What makes you so sure of that?" I rose from the bed, running my hands down the sides of my body and smoothing my dress back into place.

"Don't be stupid Bella, let me help you. There must be some part of you that wants to get out of this life?"

"This is the only life I've ever known." I walked towards him and curled my arms round his neck, pressing our bodies together as I embraced him. "You won't believe this, but it means a lot that you care enough to try."

When his arms wrapped round my waist, my hold began to tighten. The expert headlock held him trapped in my arms, and even when he began struggling it only made things worse for him.

"I'm sorry William." I murmured when he finally stopped struggling and became limp. I let him drop upon the bed and bent down for the handcuffs, he wouldn't be out long so I handcuffed him to the bedside table handle. I gently kissed his lips. "I've known this life longer than any other, thank you for trying to save me but I'm the only one that can do that."

I kicked off my heels and quietly walked over to the door, pressing my ear against the wood, hearing the rumble of male voices and one female voice. Someone was missing and I put my money that it was Cassandra. I smiled as I picked up my bag off the chair into the corner, throwing it onto a shoulder, stalking into the small en suite bathroom where I tied the towels together to make a crude rope. I secured one end to the porcelain basin and tossed the rest out of the window. I hitched up my dress and carefully climbed out of the bed, my nails digging into the towel until my toes found the windowsill of the room on the floor below.

I kicked a leg back and rammed my knee into the glass, hearing it shatter. I lowered myself further until I was able to jump through the broken window, cringing when the glass buried into my feet. I fought through the searing pain, stealing a couple of hand towels as I walked into the thankfully empty motel room. I wrapped up my bleeding feet and left the room to hunt down Cassandra.


	10. 10: Moving On

**I'm hoping this chapter will get quite a few reviews. It took me a while to write and it's about time something happened with our main character.**

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**CHAPTER TEN: Moving on.**

After cooling off from the argument with Ethan, I returned to the hotel room to see Ethan, Jane and Benji still sitting around taking amongst them. I rolled my eyes and entered the room making their attention focus on me.

"Where's Brandt?" I asked them.

Jane and Ethan kept their glances on me while I caught Benji look towards the room Bella was being kept in. I didn't know if he did it intentionally or not, knowing Benji it would have been unintentional.

I rolled my eyes and headed towards the room. I opened the door and found William handcuffed to the bedside table and out cold. There was no sign of Bella or her bag. I went into the small ensuite and found towels tied together and to the basin. The window was wide open.

I frowned going back into the room to find Will coming to; I decided to leave him like he was. I walked past him and into the main room where the others were still standing.

"How did you not realize she escaped?" I growled.

"Who escaped?" Jane asked dumbly.

I turned my frown onto her, "Are you really that fucking stupid?"

"Bella!"

Ethan ran past me into the room. Jane followed not far behind him. It took a few minutes before Ethan and Jane re-entered the room. "Jane and I will go and look for her with Benji's help. You go and help Brandt." He ordered before leaving the room with the other two.

I rolled my eyes once again before re-entering the room to a conscious Brandt trying to get his wrist free. I stood in front of him with my arms across my chest. I took in his appearance.

He looked up at me. "She tricked me." I heard him mumble as he looked away from me.

"At least you're smart enough to realize that."

"Are you going to help me?" He asked rattling the handcuffs.

"Only because I have to," I said finding a key and unlocked the handcuffs.

He stood up rubbing his wrist that the cuff was around. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, because of Ethan's idiot plan, you got knocked out and Bella escaped."

"I tried to help her."

"There is no helping someone like her."

"I figure that," he sighed. "But I did find out something."

"What did you find out?" I asked him curiously. Maybe Ethan's plan had some good to it.

"She's hell bent on bringing you down. Her boss is apparently quite interested in you." There was a tone to his voice I couldn't pick up on. It wasn't a tone I'd heard before. "That's all she told me before I offered our help to protect her, hoping to get a name. But we know her boss is a man and he has her as well as everyone else afraid." He continued.

"If he's interested in me so much why does he have everyone doing his dirty work?"

"You should be asking who is he and why he's so interested in you?"

I saw the lines on his forehead crease as he frowned obviously frustrated that he didn't get enough information out of Bella. I could tell he was thinking the possibilities over. I could practically see the clogs in his head turning.

"What can I say? Apparently I'm quite the catch," I said as I sat on the bed. It was surprising for a run-down hotel that everything was kept in good shape and worked. I think owner put more time on keeping everything running and some-what tidy that he forgot about the outside appearance.

"Don't I know it." I heard him mumble. "Do you know why she keeps mentioning Anderson?"

My head snapped up to look at him and frowned. "If she's hell bent on bringing me down, then she'll know all my dirty secrets."

"Dirty secrets? You and Anderson were partners, what kind of dirty secrets could you have?"

"It wasn't really a dirty secret. I was in love with him, everyone knew that. He loved me too but wouldn't admit it to anyone else." I told him.

"Do you still love him?"

I looked away from Will not being able to look him in the eye after he asked that. "He's dead. Does it really matter if I still love him or not?" My words came out harsher than I intended for them to.

"It could matter. If Bella knows you still love your dead boyfriend then she could use it against you. You're not the only one this is going to affect!" he snapped.

"My relationship with Anderson has nothing to do with this!" I yelled at him, glaring him. He frowned back at me.

"Maybe if you got over him, you'd be able to see it!" He yelled back at me. I was shocked by his outburst. "Bella knows something we don't and you're the key to it all! Open your eyes and move on other wise you're giving the bitch what she wants. You might also find someone new to love." I watched him storm off mumbling something about a shower, leaving me there shocked.

I sat on the bed thinking about what Brandt yelled to me. I could hear the shower in the bathroom attached to the bedroom we shared, going. He was right about it being time for me to move on from Anderson. I didn't want to keep pushing away the opportunity to find someone who I could love and have them love me in return. I also didn't want Bella getting the upper hand.

I rose from the bed and made my way to the bathroom door, quietly opening it and slipping into the room. I walked over to the shower, flinging the door open causing Will to turn round. He didn't even bother to cover himself, his handsome features twisted in a mix of shock and confusion. His lips parted but I stepped into the shower, curling my arm round his neck as I kissed him hard on the lips.

It took a few moments for him to register what was happening. I soon felt his arms wrap tightly around my small waist as he pressed me against his naked body. The passion fuelling the kiss was enough to steal the breath out of my lungs. His hands roaming my body made my spine tingle in delight, and the need to embrace him was something I'd never experienced with Anderson.

We eventually pulled breathing heavily.

"You're soaking wet," he smirked motioning to my plum colored dress.

I shrugged as our blue eyes met. "At least the waters warm."

He smiled pulling me into another breath-taking kiss, his hands moving to the bottom of my dress so he could slide it up over my body. We were forced to part again so he could pull the wet material over my head, tossing it at the floor. Soon my underwear met the same fate and I was tightly embraced by Will, my legs wrapped around his hips as he pushed me up against the shower wall, letting our lust consume us.


	11. 11: Overwhelming

**I have a feeling this story will be coming to an end soon. Hopefully the last chapters won't feel forced. Please read and review.**

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**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Overwhelming**

I walked out of the bedroom now wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. Will sat on the sofa going through another one of the many files still scattered over the coffee table. I walked over and sat next to him. The two of us smiling when our gaze met.

"Is there any word from Ethan yet?" I asked him as he went back to the file in his hands.

He shook his head. "Not yet."

We sat in a comfortable silence. We knew there was nothing to be said. After our shower, we talked and decided to keep what was happening between us to ourselves. We didn't need another relationship compromising all our safety. It was bad enough Bella knowing about Anderson and thinking she could use that against me for whatever purpose she was only privy to. I tried not to think about her, as Will and I discussed our first date for when this mission was over. The only thing we'd decided was that we'd have dinner together, somewhere quiet.

I eventually broke the silence, looking at the gorgeous man sitting next to me. The lines on his forehead were creased in concentration as his blue eyes scanned the pages. His plump lips were in a slight pout.

"Do you know what I don't get?"

He looked from the file to me again and shook his head.

"When I was with Anderson, all he saw was my tough girl act until he was dying. Even though I loved him, I felt that was all I could show him. When he died and I was disavowed, I lost everything except for my tough girl exterior." I stopped to take a deep breath in and out before continuing. "But since I've been here with you and the others I've felt anything but tough. I've been nervous, angry, upset, frustrated and the list goes on. But do you know what I've been feeling the most?"

"What?"

"Terrified. I'm scared I'm not as good as I use to be, I'm scared I'll get someone hurt or killed and since that day when I shook your hand for the first time, I was scared of letting someone in again."

"You don't have to be scared." Will murmured, a faint smile appearing upon his face.

"But I am. I'm experiencing things I felt before, and I'm experiencing new things too. Things I never felt when I was with Anderson."

"And it's all a little overwhelming."

I nodded, relief flooding through me as he understood the jumble of feelings consuming me. "Just a little."

"It's the same for me too. You're different and the connection I feel with you is different to anything I've felt with someone else. When you kissed me, it felt amazing." He leaned slightly forward towards me, wanting the same thing that I did.

"The others could come back any moment."

He shrugged his shoulders and closed the gap between us, pressing his lips to mine.

It wasn't long before the door flew open and we quickly pulled apart, jumping up from the sofa before anyone saw how close we were. I stepped back from him turning away to avoid any suspicion.

"No luck finding Bella?" Will asked as the rest of the team filled the room.

"No we couldn't find her." Ethan replied dropping into a chair at the table, lightly shaking his head in frustration.

"So what happens now?" I questioned facing them.

"We keep looking."


	12. 12: Face to Face

**Another one or two chapters and this story will be completed. I don't know how soon I will be able to post them, being sick sucks. Please read and review.**

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**BRANDT TWELVE: Face to Face**

**Cassandra's POV.**

I was packing my bag so we could leave for our next location. Now that Bella knew where we were, we could run the risk that Bella would return here with a plan. I'd just finished putting my clothes into my small bag when my cell phone started to ring. I picked it up off the bed to see who could be calling me. I frowned when the caller ID came up as a blocked number.

I pressed the button to answer the phone and held it to my ear. "Hello?"

"_Cassandra, I was hoping you'd answer," _the familiar, husky voice belonging to Bella came through the receiver.

"Well stupid, it is my phone."

"_Yes but I made sure the number was blocked so you would answer."_

"Well aren't you just clever. Now should I have Agent Dunn tracking this call or not?" I asked her. I didn't have time for her games but if I was the one her boss wanted then I knew I'd have to go along with them.

"_Unless you want the truth about Anderson, I suggest not."_

"Why do you keep bringing Anderson up? He's dead. I watched him die –"

"_In your arms blah, blah, blah, yes I've read more than just your file. You know you should keep your journals in a better hidden place." _

"How did you…?" I trailed off.

"_I found your new address and sent someone to go through the apartment. You know, the name Danielle Paige really suits you, you should stick with it."_

My patience was wearing down. It didn't take much for me to lose it these days. "What do you want?"

"_I have the truth about Anderson. If you want to know what your precious team leader is hiding from you I want you to meet me at the warehouse on the north dock. You need to come alone or I will kill who ever follows you." _She told me.

"What time?"

"_Meet me there in two hours." _

The dial tone went dead and my gut twisted nervously.

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**Bella's POV.**

The salty scent of the ocean wafted through the abandoned warehouse located on the docks. There were plenty of shadows to hide myself in but I chose to stand in the middle of the place, beneath the lone working light where the white beam of light fell over me like spotlight. I was one playing games and being the good girl who bowed to her master. Someone was going to die tonight. And it sure as hell wasn't going to be me.

I raised the cigarette to my lips as I heard a car pull up outside. A door slammed moments later and a pair of footsteps echoed off the concrete. A female figure appeared in the open doorway nearby and I dropped the cigarette butt, stamping out the glowing light with the toe of my boot.

"Come in Cassandra." The emotional damaged agent cautiously entered. She studied her surroundings as I placed my hands upon my hips. "I'd appreciate it if you could rid yourself of any weapons you might be carrying."

"You first."

"I'm not packing." I undid my leather jacket, tugging it off to reveal a simple tank top. I lifted the material and turned in a full circle so she'd see nothing but my bare skin.

She pulled off her own jacket and removed a gun she'd tucked into the back of her pants. She threw it away into the shadows and then bent down, removing a small blade from her boot. "So, tell me about Anderson,"

"Not yet sweetheart, first I'm going to make that pretty face of yours bleed. Let's see how Brandt likes you then."

"You leave him out of this!"

I raised my eyebrows at her, walking towards her. "Ooh, did I hit a nerve? Are you seriously thinking you have a chance with him?" She didn't answer me but her jaw clenched. "I bet he didn't tell you what we got up to."

I relished the way she finally exploded, taking a swing at me but she narrowly missed my nose. My hand shot out and I seized her by the throat. I squeezed the delicate flesh until her blue eyes bulged, her hands clawing at my arm. I drew her close towards me, our lips almost touching as I confessed my sins.

"He put his hands on me, and he kissed me…not because he had to but because he wanted to." I chuckled as Cassandra continued to squirm. "He liked my hands roaming over his body, and if I was working against him…I would've fucked him."

I released her throat and shoved her away. She gasped for a breath, caressing her throat as she stared hatefully at me. "He was using you!"

"I'm well aware of that. But he didn't have to offer to save me."

"You're lying."

"Why would I lie?"

"What do you know about Anderson?"

"He's alive."

Before my reply could sink in I clenched my hands into hard fists, throwing a punch that connected with her nose. The crack of breaking bone made me smile as I circled Cassandra, waiting for her retaliation.

"You bitch! I watched him die!" She pressed the back of her hand against her bleeding nose.

"He only passed out you stupid girl! Faking your death is the oldest trick in the book, and it's easier for you to believe he was dead rather than knowing your true love betrayed everyone and everything he'd ever known. Even your mentor, Ethan knew Anderson wasn't dead!"

She glared at me and raised her fists; I dodged the first one but got nicked with the second left hand jab. I stumbled back, my tongue sliding over my lips to taste blood. We continued to exchange a handful of blows, until I finally got bored of the dance and raised my leg, kicking her square in the stomach and winding her. When Cassandra bent over to grasp a breath, I rammed an elbow into her spine as she fell to her knees.

"I nursed Anderson back to health and then he trapped me! He threatened to expose me if I didn't help in his twisted scheme." I hooked my arm round her neck, standing behind her to give myself better lavage to snap her neck. "With you dead Cassandra, I'm free."

I lifted her to her feet, listening to her gasp as I began to take her life. I started to apply more pressure when a heavy set of footsteps entered the warehouse.

"Release her Bella!"

"Fuck you Anderson!" I looked up as the source of all this drama walked towards me, stepping into the light and revealing himself. Cassandra's body twitched in my grasp, her nails digging into my forearm as she saw her love for the first time since their botched mission.

"She's not to be harmed!"

"I'm not taking your orders anymore! I'm done playing this game!" He motioned to take a step forward but I tightened my grip. "Go on, step closer and I'll snap her neck."

"You're fired Bella." He raised his arm, revealing a gun but before I could kill Cassandra, a bullet was fired. My arms fell limp and I fell back into darkness.


	13. 13: The End

**This is the last chapter. Once the epilogue is posted this story is complete. I hope you continue to review.**

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**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: The End**

As Bella's body fell limp I dropped to the ground catching my breath. I could hear footsteps come closer to me.

"Don't!" I said holding my arm up as I got my breath back.

"Sandra, please let me explain," Anderson said as he stopped walking closer to me.

I managed to stand up despite the pain from fighting Bella and the blood trickling from my broken nose, glaring at him. "You made me think you were dead!"

"I'm sorry."

"You played me and everyone that cared about you. You faked your death for what? Trying to take over the world?" I could feel the anger and frustration take over.

"I did it to protect you!"

"This is not protecting me! World domination is not protecting me!" I yelled at him.

When he started laughing, it echoed through the large empty warehouse. His true colors were starting to show through. "That was a lie. You were just a pawn in my game; everyone was just too stupid to see it."

I backed away from him as the look on his face changed.

He smirked. "You were the most foolish of the lot."

"I didn't fall for anything!"

"You fell for me."

"No, I fell for the person who I thought you were."

He smirked like he was proud of himself. "I did play the perfect boyfriend and agent well."

Out the corner of my eye I could see movement behind Anderson. I was glad I got Benji to put a small GPS device on me. Now I just had to keep Anderson distracted while the team moved into position.

"Why did you do it? Why are you doing this?"

"I did it so I could figure out the way IMF worked, all their dirty little secrets, how predictable they were. I was never there to be the good guy. I only played the good guy. All those missions meant nothing to me. Once I had everything figured out I knew it was time to fake my death. Miranda was in on it if she survived then I was going to kill her once I was healed. But you saved me that job and killed her for me." He explained. "I met Isabella just before I was to fake my death. She became a part of the plan when I knew I needed someone to help nurse me back to health. She was an even bigger fool then you were. I think she had daddy issues. But now she's dead. I'm still deciding whether to keep you alive or not. You know too much but then you could help me."

I watched as Brandt crept into the warehouse and up behind Anderson while he was talking, and press his gun to Anderson's head. "She won't be helping you do anything."

Anderson didn't seem surprised that he was here. "I'm guessing you're Agent Brandt?"

Brandt was looking straight at me not taking any notice of Anderson. In Brandt's moment of distraction, Anderson turned around knocking the gun out of his hand and punched him hard in the stomach winding him. As Brandt doubled over in pain Anderson gave him an uppercut knocking him back. I ran to get my gun but felt myself being knocked to the ground. I looked up to see Anderson standing over me.

"You shouldn't have done that," he kicked me in my side. I yelled out in pain.

"I won't let you win." I gasped.

"Too late sweetheart, I already have," he said placing his foot on my throat blocking my airways. I started clawing at his leg before noticing my gun a few inches away. I tried reaching for it but couldn't. As my eyes started to close feeling my life start to drain, I felt Anderson's foot come off my throat. I opened my eyes to see Brandt and Anderson brawling a few feet away from me. I jumped up and picked up my gun, pointing it at them as Anderson pulled Brandt into a choker hold and pointed his gun at Brandt's head.

"Let him go!" I yelled placing my finger against the trigger of my gun.

"I can't do that!"

"Just shoot," Brandt shouted at me. I could see Anderson's grip tighten around his neck. Brandt knew I could take the shot, but I wasn't so sure.

"Put the gun down and I won't kill him Sandra," Anderson yelled.

"Just shoot him!"

"You know you won't be able to shoot me without shooting him," Anderson tormented.

"Pull the damn trigger Cass!"

I watched intently as Anderson made the mistake of looking around Brandt to look at me. I pulled the trigger shooting him in the head. I watched his body fall limp. Brandt collapsed to the ground next to Anderson pushing his body away.

He looked towards me. "Are you okay?"

"I've had better days."

He stood up and walked over to me just as Ethan, Jane and Benji walk in.

As Brandt went to embrace me I brought my arm back and punched him square in the jaw. He groaned as he held his jaw. "I guess I deserved that."

"It made me feel a little better. Promise me you won't feel up the enemy again."

"The enemy looks pretty dead right now," he smiled. I lightly hit his chest. He winced slightly.

"We need to leave, we have a clean-up crew on its way here," I heard Ethan call to us.

I looked over to see him walk out with Jane and Benji. I went to follow but felt myself be pulled back. I looked at Brandt. He smiled pulling me into a breath taking kiss. I smiled against his lips returning the kiss.


	14. EPILOGUE: A Month Later

**I hope you continue to read and review.**

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**EPILOGUE: A Month Later.**

I looked myself over in the mirror, running my hands over the simple black dress I was wearing. It was V-neck, long sleeved dress that reached just above my knees. I paired it with strappy high heels that made me a good inch or two taller, keeping my jewellery and make up to a minimal and put my hair into loose curls. To say I was nervous would be an understatement.

I heard a knock at my apartment door. My heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest.

I walked out of my bedroom and over to the door. I steadied my breathing and then pulled the door open to see Will standing there in a pair of dark blue jeans, a deep red button up shirt under a black leather jacket.

"Hey," he smiled placing his hands in his pockets.

I returned his smile. "Hi."

"You look amazing."

I found myself blushing. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Thank you. Are you ready to go?"

I went to grab my clutch and made sure everything I needed was in there. I headed back to the door and reached for my denim jacket that was hanging off my coat rack. "I am now."

I walked out of my apartment locking the door behind me. I linked my fingers with his as we walked down to his car. Once we got to his car he opened the passenger side door for me. I got into the seat and he closed the door before running over to the driver's side and got in.

"So where are we going?" I asked him as he started the car, curiosity getting the better of me.

"It's a surprise," he smiled pulling away from the curb.

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After driving for half an hour he pulled into a car park to the marina. I gave him a confused look as he got out of the car and ran over to my side and opened the door for me. I got out and stood waiting for him as he closed the door and went to the boot of the car. I saw him pull out a picnic basket and shut the boot door before locking the car.

"Why are we at the marina?"

"You'll see." He took my hand with his free hand and led me to one of the many boats.

We stopped at the boat right down at the end of the dock. I was truly in awe of the boat in front of me. It was like I had stepped into some romantic movie. "You didn't tell me you owned a boat."

"That's because I don't. I have a friend that owed me a favour. He's let me borrow his boat for tonight. We did say we'd go on our first date somewhere peaceful. What's more peaceful than being on the water?"

"This is absolutely amazing," I looked at him smiling. He smiled back at me and helped me onto the boat. I walked to where the cabin was.

As I admired the room I felt myself turned around, and lips press against mine. I stumbled back a bit but he caught me wrapping his arms around my waist. I smiled as I returned the kiss wrapping my arms around his neck and ran my hands through the hair at the back of his head.

We pulled away after a while and i looked into his eyes. "I love you." he whispered for the first time.

I couldn't stop the grin that was spreading across my face. "I love you too."

He kissed me again but this kiss felt different from all the others we'd shared previously. I felt him lead me to the bed that was at the back of the cabin, not breaking the kiss once.


End file.
